Brett Barker

Accidental Artist
Brett Barker, www.artistbrettbarker.com

Friday, March 12 - Sunday, March 14, 2010
Location: Club Tico, Senior Center, Fort Collins, Colorado

This workshop focuses on easy ways that anyone can use to learn the basics of design, placement of elements, color, texture, and filling up the "dud" spots in a quilt. Each student will have several fabric sketches to use to create art quilts. We will learn specific ways to understand and improve composition by developing a compositional "eye." Students leave the workshop feeling that composition has been de-mystified and all are better able to intuitively compose with ease.

Liz Kettle

Layers of Meaning

Liz Kettle, www.TextileEvolution.com

New Skills Workshop
Monday, June 1 - Tuesday June 2, 2010
First Plymouth Church, Englewood, CO
$75.00 (members)
Registration Form

Layering does not always come easy to the textile artist. We traditionally approach our work with one or perhaps two layers of design. In this collage focus class we will explore the concepts of layering: both with visual layers (surface design) and physical layers (embellishment techniques). We will work towards a collaged accordion book or small wall hanging but the class will be design and technique driven so the choice will be yours to focus on a finished piece or play and experiment with techniques.

In addition to collage design and composition considerations we will explore an assortment of fun techniques. They will include but not necessarily be limited to, image transfer, surface design using paint, stamps, pencils and markers, ideas for transparent layers, stitch layers, incorporating paper, lutradur and metal in your work, various beading and embellishing techniques.

Leslie Gabrielse

Leslie Gabrielse, www.gabrielse.com

Thursday, September 16 - Sunday, September 19, 2010
Location: High Peak Camp, Estes Park Colorado

There is already excitement about Leslie Gabrielse’s visit to Colorado. We will be privileged to have him teach a workshop and then do a program for all of Front Range Contemporary Quilters. He will be coming from the Netherlands.

His work is a skillful combination of using various fabrics with appliqué techniques embellished with acrylic paints. When he was a student at the Academy of Art in Rotterdam he tried many forms of art including ceramics, textile design, graphic arts, and painting. He found that working with textiles was the most satisfying.

In the workshop, you will learn how to create complex designs from your own simple drawings in an easy and straightforward method. We will also explore how to use paint in surface design to give your work more dimension and interest. An important part of all of this is the range of possibilities and varieties of playing with positive and negative shapes and space. Throughout the workshop, you will see how the principles of design and color apply to your work, and you will be amazed at how much this information will open up your mind to new ways of approaching art quilting.

Leslie’s goal is to let students achieve an understanding of working with layers of fabric and to demonstrate how each layer becomes an integral part of the composition.